Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has commissioned a new Para-xylene (PX) plant at Jamnagar, which is set to more than double the company’s PX capacity.

Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has commissioned a new Para-xylene (PX) plant at Jamnagar, which is set to more than double the company’s PX capacity. (Source: IE)

Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has commissioned a new Para-xylene (PX) plant at Jamnagar, which is set to more than double the company’s PX capacity from 2.0 MMTPA to 4.2 MMTPA.

The plant, with a capacity of 2.2 MMTPA, will add value to the output from refineries and improve profitability of the Jamnagar complex. On commissioning of the entire PX capacity, RIL will be the world’s second largest PX producer with 9% of global PX capacity and 11% share of global production.

The new plant has been built with state-of-the-art crystallisation technology from BP.
Since PX is the building block for the entire polyester chain, the new capacity will complete the integration within RIL’s polyester value chain, leading to improved margins and also strengthen its position in the polyester industry globally.

“Commissioning of the new PX plant marks beginning of the culmination of a series of projects including the refinery off-gas cracker, ethane import project and petcoke gasification. These projects are part of the largest contemporary investment, in excess of R100,000 crore, in Refining and Petrochemicals sector anywhere in the world.

Our projects are on schedule and at an advanced stage of mechanical completion. The new PX capacity takes us a step closer to being among the top 10 petrochemical players globally. This is a fitting tribute to our visionary founder chairman Shri Dhirubhai H Ambani,” said Mukesh D Ambani, chairman and managing director, Reliance Industries Limited.

For the year ended March 2016, RIL registered a consolidated turnover of R296,091 crore, cash profit of R40,737 crore and net profit of R27,630 crore. The company’s activities span hydrocarbon exploration and production, petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals, retail and telecommunications.